Princess Rosalind asks, “Why do we always have to say please and thank you? And who cares how we use a napkin?

Appalled by the rude behavior of Rosalind and her pet dragon, Sparkler, the queen banishes them from the castle until they can find Good Manners. Percival, the wizard, sends them on their quest with the help of a magic fork. They face several challenges along the way. However, not until the final test do they discover the real secret behind
Good Manners.

Princess Rosalind and her pet dragon, Sparkler, love to eat. They look to be having loads of fun burping, dripping, dropping, and slurping. The Queen is not amused. Sparkler burps and fire shoots out. Rosalind likes to flick her peas at Sparkler. Their manners are horrid. The Queen has put up with enough. She gives her daughter and Sparkler three days to find good manners or Sparkler is banished from the royal dining room.

First stop is to the wise old wizard Percival. Percival asks Rosalind to pull a gold fork out of a rock. She cannot get it out by grabbing and pulling. Holding the fork lightly and properly finally releases it from the rock. Then it slides out, ready to lead the two on their quest for good manners.

At each stop along the way, Rosalind and Sparkler learn something about good manners. Like saying please, and thank you, and even you’re welcome. After learning the secret to good manners at Lady Grace’s home, Rosalind and Sparkler can finally return to the castle and eat in the royal dining room.

A Quest for Good Manners is a cute story with bright, wide-eyed illustrations kids will enjoy. Sparkler is the most interesting character, taking the spotlight right out from under Rosalind. She can hold her own and the two are funny when they display bad manners. This exaggeration, (or is it?), will grab every child’s attention. Princess Rosalind is a cute little girl with fire red hair. She soars around the kingdom on Sparkler’s back with ease.

Aimed at ages four to eight, the younger children will be most entertained by A Quest for Good Mannersand pick up the lessons of the book. In addition to good manners, the book stresses treating others with kindness and consideration to others.

The climax of A Quest for Good Manners is when Rosalind and Sparkler find the secret of good manners. The secret is simplistic. Children will have no difficulty applying the secret to good manners. One does not need to learn a bunch of manner rules to have good manners, if they only know the secret. I do not know if this book will cure your children of their horrible manners, if they have them, but it will entertain them. Maybe, through osmosis, your children will pack away the secret of good manners and bring it out one day when you least expect it. A Quest for Good Manners is a nice afternoon read, sometime before supper might be best. I think little kids will carry this book around. And they will want their own pet dragon.